This EPRI white paper describes the evolution and growing interest of large electricity customers, electric companies, and others in procuring and supplying “carbon-free” energy 24 hours a day, seven days per week (24/7 CFE), and the opportunities and challenges facing electric companies considering developing products and services to meet this emerging need. Further, it explores the potential role of 24/7 CFE in future electric company and electric customer decarbonization activities, the current market status of 24/7 CFE products, services and suppliers, and provides information about existing commercial activities and recent 24/7 CFE agreements. This paper also addresses important related issues, including GHG emissions accounting related to procurement of 24/7 CFE, and the growing and controversial practice of procuring renewable energy (RE) and renewable energy credits (RECs) to achieve corporate carbon emission reduction goals. Development of this paper was supported by EPRI’s Technology Innovation (TI) program.
Authors Adam Diamant